[Dunbar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDLai /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can someone explain to me the order of the process? I'm unfamiliar with custom monitors in general, so I'm a little confused as to how it works. You order from TTVJ. You go somewhere to get ear impressions done. You send those ear impressions to EarPeace Technologies. Then they do everything from there? Is that right?

Yes, that's pretty much it. They e-mailed me an order form, I filled it out and sent payment along with the impressions (address is on the order form). I used the Ultimate Ears website to find an audiologist locally. Tell them you need impressions made for in-ear monitors. The price is the same if you order direct so I'm not sure what advantage of using TTVJ is.

 

[~AZ~]

I'll try and keep this short as I can only offer impressions and not really comparisons. The only other IEM I have any experience with is the E2c and after about a day I was not a fan of that IEM at all.

I first call Earpeace directly and spoke with John. I asked a lot of questions about the background and quality of the Livewires and he was very nice and did not rush at all in answering whatever I threw out there. This experience definitely helped me to pull the trigger on ordering. John even helped to make sure the local audiologist I was going to knew exactly what I needed and took the time to call the office so I would not have to try and explain. I had my set of impressions made for $10...I really can not imagine the people that buy the home do-it-yourself kits for impressions, I just don't think shooting silicone half way to your brain is a good home project. My wife was suppose to get her molds done as well for a set of Livewires but she had too much built up wax so she had to wait a few days to get her ears cleaned.

Then I called and paid through TTVJ...again an excellent experience with customer service.

Then the wait...which is a bit of a complaint. I was told that there was about a 10 day turn around time but it took a little over a month. I had called twice during this time and was told they would check and get back to me, which they didn't get back to me and a message I left was not returned. I am guessing that they are probably seeing a strong response to this product and are having a hard time keeping up. They need to change their information to reflect this though or I think they are going to get a lot of irate customers since we all know how much patience we have when it comes to waiting for toys.

So they finally got here and first I would say that the build quality seems very good. The replacable cable was a major selling point for me and the cable seems to be excellent quality although with the connectors it may not be as aesthetically pleasing as earphones with the wire embedded in the plastic. The comfort is a bit of an issue for me as the left one fit like a glove but the right seemed to be a bit trickier and after a few minutes actually became quite painfull. After some adjustments and playing around I have gotten more comfortable with them. It is also probably worth mentioning that the comfort issues probably stem from the fact I have "odd" ear canals as the audiologist noted and my wifes set fits her perfectly. I think that "comfortable" is a relative term and they are about as comfortable as I could imagine anything stuck in my ear could be.

As for the sound, again I don't have any other IEM experience to compare but I would say that so far they have handled everything I played on them very well. I have tried them on both my Creative Zen Touch and my Iriver H120. The headphone that I think they sound very similar to is the Sennheiser HD595, which I am a big fan of. The sound is very balanced and it doesn't seem to me that anything is overly emphasized although there may be a little more bottom end than top. I would say the sound is a little laid back although musical nuances and details are easily discernible they don't jump out at you.

Well that's about it...I will try and see if I can get some pictures. I ordered mine with black face plates and clear shells.

 

[JDiles]

Hi all. I'm John Diles, a co-founder of Earpeace/Livewires. I want to thank all of you for your considerable input about our 'ears'. Like many other start-ups, we have experienced our share of glitches. I apologize to any of you have had to wait longer than promised for your Livewires.

Like many of our competitors, I suppose, I check in to Head-Fi from time to time to see how we're doing. While I appreciate all the nice things being said about us, I cringe when I read that we come up short on customer service and promised delivery times. We are learning about the nuances of component manufacturing schedules.

I'm reluctant to use this forum as a Livewires promotional tool and will probably not post again in the near future. Head-Fi is a unique community that will not be well served by being cluttered up with promotional postings by the manufacturers of the products you discuss. We know where to buy ads (or at least we think we do). I will encourage any of you to write what you think...good or bad. If we mess up, let us have it. It will only help to make us better or send us back into the hearing aid industry (which is quite healthy at the moment).

One more thing; in no way should any of the delays be attributed to TTVJ.com or to our new friends in Singapore, Jaben Networks. We highly value our association with both of these fine companies and will strive to maintain their trust in us.

 

[PeterDLai]

Thanks for your impressions ~AZ~. Brief, but still insightful.

Do I wait for the q-JAYS/Westone 3 or do I just go for these? Customs for $300 sounds like a steal...

 

[Funk-O-Meter]

Pictures? More comments? Anybody else get theirs yet?

 

[plywood99]

Yeah I'm itching to hear more about these...


Ply

 

[Dunbar]

Well I finally received mine today, unfortunately they don't fit right. I think the portion that extends into the second bend is too long causing them to be really uncomfortable. They do sound excellent straight out of my Ipod nano, a lot of the reviewers are selling them short. They actually sound a lot like the UM2, the differences are subtle. They have just as much bass but I find it's tighter bass that decays more quickly. Midrange is pretty similiar and the top end isn't as recessed so you hear more detail. Hopefully I can get the fitament issues fixed.

 

[PeterDLai]

Do they sound airy at all or are they pretty "in-the-head" sounding, like most IEMs?

Oh, and pictures please!

 

[Funk-O-Meter]

Do they have that sharp sibilant thing that makes S's hurt and symbols too sharp like UM-2's do?

 

[Dunbar]

PeterDLai

I'm not sure what you mean, I can't they really sound any different than other IEM's in that respect.

Funk-O-Meter

I can't say I notice sibilance with my UM2's or these although I generally listen at lower volums (1/4 or less on my Ipod)

 

[Jon118]

These are so tempting. I'm just glad that I'm pretty content with my current IEMs. That looks like a pretty huge plug on these though. Still, what a great price. I really almost wish I had a good excuse to buy these.

 

[stewtheking]

I've just been informed that my molds are with the "manufacturer". According to John Diles, they are running at about a 2 week turnaround, so they may be winging their way towards me early July.

 

[Funk-O-Meter]

Yea, it seems most IEM companies sub contract out the manufacturing of the actually ear piece housing out to a company that specializes in that sort of thing. Like hearing aid makers and what not. You get a better product and they don't have to invest in the expensive infrastructure. Ultimate Ears does the for sure.

 

[PeterDLai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunbar /img/forum/go_quote.gif PeterDLai I'm not sure what you mean, I can't they really sound any different than other IEM's in that respect.

Mm... okay. That works, I guess. I'm guessing customs sound just as good as a universal IEM but with perfect seal every time.

Keep up posted if the fit doesn't fix itself. You should contact them if you can't get them to feel comfortable and I'm sure they'll replace them (especially with their 30 day “Love it or Refund it” Policy), as long as you live in the U.S.

 

[kelso]

I've had my ear impressions and paid up on the 3rd of May but still no sign yet of the earphones

. This really reflects badly on both the vendor and manufacturer ... for me at least. I shudder to think if per chance either of the custom molds do not fit

Its been like six weeks and counting so the two weeks turn around promised just doesn't compute